DR GRACE JACOTT, always knew her destiny was to be a teacher which, in her mind, encompassed much more than imparting information.
She wanted to guide youths and help them be successful as human beings, in relationships and in whichever field they chose.
Her book, There are Rainbows of Purpose of Your Wilderness, is an extension of that desire. It is a testimony of her experiences as well as a devotional book and guide, providing suggestions for dealing with life’s challenges.
Her wilderness, her challenging time in life, was from 1997-2007 when she lived in Suriname.
“While I was going through that wilderness experience, I felt this strong urge to document what I was going through, because I had a sense of the fact that God would bring me out.
“In addition to that, I felt that the idea of documenting to share in the future would help other individuals who had to face whatever challenges they would meet.”
In the book, she shared how God brought her through tough times and the Bible passages that gave her strength. She also understood people did not always know what to do or the right mindset to have when difficulties crop up.
Her aim was to help and provide guidance.
“I found myself writing to provide guidance on the suitable mindset, the most suitable perspective that one needs to engender while going through life's challenges in order to come out as a whole person, in order to come out as a better person, in order to come out successful.”
Before she moved to Suriname, Jacott and her husband lived in Arima. She worked at the Ministry of Finance, had completed teacher’s training and was quite comfortable in Trinidad. But she was excited for the opportunity to teach and experience somewhere new.
She, her Surinamese husband and her three-month-old son moved to Suriname in 1997 because she was promised a teaching job. But when she got there, she was told the job was no longer available.
And so began her wilderness, which included unemployment, high cost of living, culture shock, a different transportation system and a language barrier.
Everything was very expensive, she recalled. She said, at the time, a loaf of bread was about $50 or 500 guilders (which was replaced by the Surinamese dollar in 2004). And a pack of disposable diapers cost around $500.
She said her husband was working and his job sustained them well enough until they had their second son. Thankfully, she got a high school teaching job in 1999, but her salary was US$250 a month even as rent was US$300 ($2,034).
“I was employed with a bachelor’s from Andrews University in the US, and my salary was US$250 ($1,700) per month. You can imagine the personal humiliation in my heart to think of my qualifications as it relates to such a very low salary.
She had received a bachelor’s in English with an emphasis on education from Andrews University, Michigan, through University of the Southern Caribbean (USC) in 1994.
[caption id="attachment_1129393" align="alignnone" width="844"] Dr Grace Jacott proudly holds up a copy of her new
